The Growing Beast
by TheManofEarth
Summary: Doctor Strange. Most powerful sorcerer in the world. Defender of mankind from the dark. His life is not simple but everyday is not dark. What should have been a simple case is turning out to be much, much more. Who are the players behind it and what do they want? If Stephen fails there may be terrible new status quo.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Please I wish I owned Doctor Strange. Marvel does. Not me.

The Missing One

It was three hours before any decent time. Throughout my city people slept. Even the shadows in my home had finally settled down to sleep. There was only an unearthly silence. At least, there would have been if I had time to sleep.

Instead, while everyone in the city slept I was trying to create a new sealing spell. It was part of my duty as Sorcerer Supreme. Mystical defender of the Earth from creatures from the other side. The project was draining. I spent the last ten hours translating ancient Taoist alchemical texts and trying to combine it with Pythagoras' theory of the world, Aristotle's theory of the elements, the five elemental theory of China, the Greek idea of Nous and the original sealing spell set by Merlin. It was contradictory, exhausting and annoying.

I was sitting there when I felt a small shock shoot across the nape of my neck. It meant that someone was knocking on my door for help. I was getting nowhere with this new seal and so, I welcomed the change. If I came back to it later maybe I'll find it easier. Aside from that, it is against my oath to turn away a person in need of help.

And so, for the first time in hours I stopped my levitation and allowed my feet to touch the floor. I stretched my legs and as I walked across my study, the candles I was reading by began to turn off. I walked out my study, walked out my sanctum, raised the protective spells behind me and as walked down the stairs I heard Wong say something in another language. Someone was saying something back when they heard my footsteps come down the stairs.

I took my time coming down the stairs. The only sound was of my footsteps as they echoed throughout the room. As I stepped down the stairs, the shadows that obscured my features faded away. After the shadow left my face I stopped, looked at my guest and said, "Greetings. I am Doctor Stephen Strange."

My guest looked scared, nervous and distressed. He was an older gentleman at least forty years old. His glasses sat at the end of a sharp nose. He was balding at the top of his head. The rest of his black hair was perfectly groomed. The hair loss probably bothered him. He stood below my shoulders and had a small belly. He had bronze skin and scars on his knuckles that looked recent. But his eyes were the most important part. There was absolute terror there.

He looked at me, swallowed and said, "Please. I-I am in need of help."

"I am aware of that," I replied, "The only people who come to see me are."

I waved at my sitting room indicating for him to sit down. As I came down the last steps I examined Wong. Despite it being so early and despite the fact that he had probably been sleeping, somehow, Wong had beaten me to the living room without making a single sound. How he did he do it? I have no idea. Must have been magic.

Wong shut the door and turned towards me. I gave him a look and he smiled, shrugged and left to make some tea. He seems to believe that it is calming. I'm not sure how true that is but Wong's tea was worth dying for.

I walked into the guest room and sat across from my guest in my red chair. I gave my guest a few minutes to relax and while I waited Wong came in and served him tea. My guest said thanks and sipped it. He then closed his eyes and shuddered.

See what I mean about the tea?

He exhaled, placed the saucer on the table in front of him and looked up at me. I didn't drink any. I don't eat in front of untrusted guests. It makes me look human.

"I… am Doctor Rashid Shah. My…My son was kidnapped."

"Doctor Shah. Why did you bring this to me? Why not the police?" I asked.

He wrangled his hands, avoided my eyes and replied, "I…I… I need help! They're tracking me."

"Who?" I asked.

"I don't know what they are. This can't be happening," He said mostly to himself, "They can't be human. But… He was suppose to be my friend." He looked like he was on the verge of tears. I'm not particularly good at empathizing with others but when I see pain I felt obligated to help.

"Dr. Shah," I said in my softest and most concerned voice, "It is okay. In my home you are safe. And if you tell me what is wrong I will help. I give you my word."

He looked up me at me with a questioning look on his face. I nodded back at him. He nodded, exhaled and started again, "A month ago my son, Khalid, began to suffer from night terrors and then insomnia. He cried in his sleep, screamed, wet his bed… It was terrible. He dropped out of the university, began staying out late, hanging out with a strange crowd. My wife and I decided we were going to have to get to him help. Three days later I was dropping off a friend. When we got to his home he just sat there. Smiling. Then he said that he…" He stopped for a second searching for the words.

"…he took my son." The words came out small. "I stared at him in disbelief. I asked him what he was talking about. He repeated it. I took your son. All while he was _still_ smiling. I lost it. I hit him in his face. His face… melted off the bones. Thin razor-like teeth protruded through the melting skin and his eyes flashed into vertical yellow slits. People came out the house smiling at me with beady eyes. He told me that he was leaving town to where he had my son and that if the police came after him, I'd never see the boy again. He told me to leave and to get sixty thousand in ten days. He said he'll find me. He got out the car and all them got into one group and disappeared. Just like that."

"Dr. Shah. How did you know where to find me?" I asked. I wanted to know how he known this place could help. Most people couldn't find this place unless they were in trouble. So someone had to have told him.

He looked uncomfortable. "I had a dream. Something told me to come here for help. Same dream for the last three days. It always told me to come here."

A strange dream that knew my exact location? Now _that_ was interesting. Seems like someone was setting me up. I wanted to say Nightmare but Nightmare didn't know physical locations in the material world. I stared clearly at Dr. Shah trying to sense any hostile intent or lies. I couldn't sense anything. As far as I can tell he was telling the truth.

"Do you have any of your son's hair?" I asked.

He jumped in his seat looking bewilder. Apparently he thought I wouldn't believe him. Or maybe he thought it was an odd request. "He had a brush at home," he replied.

"I'll need that to find him." I rose to my feet and gestured at him to rise. We were walking to the door when I said, "I'll be by later to pick it up." Wong had somehow beaten me to the door and opened it. Dr. Shah looked like he was going to say something but I interrupted, "Don't worry Dr. Shah they won't see me. I will find your son first and then I'll take care of this group." He looked conflicted for a second then said, "Thank you." And left without an another word.

Wong closed the door and I knew he had something to say.

"Yes, Wong?" I asked.

"If you don't mind me asking but… did any of that seem odd to you? There was something wrong there."

I shrugged. "True but I sensed no deception. I believe he was telling the truth." I rose to my feet stifling a yawn. "Either way I need a breather. This is exactly the activity that I need to clear my thoughts. Besides if there _is_ a boy in trouble I can't abandon him. Danger or no danger. Besides, what are the chances that this would be a trap?"

One searching spell and consultation with the Orb of Agamotto later, I found that my missing person was in Tibet. Wong made the reservations and I packed for the trip. The thing about being a sorcerer is that we are, at the core, human. We bleed and die like everyone else without the proper spells and tools. Earlier in my career I almost died from a gunshot wound. So since the things in the dark could kill us easily we made up for it by being paranoid and possessing multipurpose tools. I never left home without my red cape, the Eye of Agamotto, my sash, and my blue shirt with the drawing of a demon on it. They were my prized and versatile objects. Gifts from my beloved and departed Master.

* * *

I slept on the plane and as I left the terminal, I endured five minutes of aside glances and snickering. I ignored it, as I am use to it, until someone dredged up the courage to tell me to check my hair. One trip to the bathroom later and I found that some kids had decided to share some of their candy with my hair while I slept.

_Kids. _

After ten minutes of picking candy from my hair and another ten minutes trying to fix my hair (I like to look good), I walked out the terminal searching for my ride. I spotted the car. Or more precisely I spotted Sen-Yu sitting on the hood smiling in my direction. Sen-Yu was an elderly man who managed the finances of the Ancient One's disciples. He was a pleasant fellow who always had smile for anyone who asked for his help.

I was on the way to the car when three kids blocked my path. They couldn't be older than twenty-five. All of them wearing shirts meant to show off their muscles. The one standing on my left was little over five foot and thin. His black hair was a mess and he needed a shave. Evidently he was trying to grow a respectable beard. Key word is _trying_. It was spotty and made him look sickly. He had a gym bag across his shoulder and had a scowl that could curdle milk. The one on my right was stocky and squinted at me. I think he needed glasses. He stood even with my shoulders but had to have thirty pounds on me. He was muscular but it looked like he only worked out his glamour muscles. The one acting as the lead had tattoos on both arms, above his left eyebrow and on his right cheek. All of them were symbols for God in various cultures. Either he was religious or he wanted to be God. Unlike the other two he looked like he exercised muscles that were actually needed for a fight. Take away the tattoos and he would be what is traditionally considered handsome. He had short black hair that fell a little short of his eyes and a smile that could melt a girl's heart. He stood confidently and upright with his hands near his back pocket. Clearly near a weapon.

Oh, they were going to try to mug me.

And in broad daylight.

I could already feel a twinge of annoyance. I came to a complete stop and stared hard at them. I didn't have to change my facial expression. I find that people consider it fearsome by default.

"If you think this is a good idea then you don't know who—"

"Oh, we know. We know you. Doctor Stephen Strange. Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Slayer of the Earth's _Vampires_," Their glorious leader interrupted.

I raised an eyebrow at that. Most people who know who I was and were intelligent, stayed out my way unless they needed help. Not try to mug me. Which meant that these kids were either unbelievably arrogant or not particularly bright. Possibly both. Not terribly surprising I suppose. That is the trait of youth. Or possibly humanity as whole. I _have_ met people who were centuries old who acted as such. Clearly they thought they had me thrown me off because they were smirking like they just won something.

"We are here concerning this action. Me and my comrades have a problems with their extinction. We…"

I am not going to lie. I tuned out of his little speech. They weren't the first people to have a problem with the vampires' death and I didn't have time for this.

I adjusted the bag on my shoulder and said in authoritarian tone, "Enough. Get out of my way."

The two lackeys stopped smirking and glanced towards their "glorious leader." He looked shock and then very angry. He tried to cover it up with smug indifference and pushed his hair out his face. I believe he was trying to go for "_What is this a joke?" _He dropped that for a second as if he was thinking and when it returned he was rushing at me drawing a blade. Apparently the other two weren't expecting it and rushed to attack my sides.

It didn't matter how fast they moved, I had been ready. I had begun gathering the Power that resided with me and mixed it with the energy in the universe while they mouthed off. As I brought my hand up, that energy took the form of kinetic energy that hit them in legs sending them tumbling over each other. If it weren't so annoying it would be comical. The blade flew from their leader's hand and the genius three crashed in front of my feet.

I stepped over their down forms, stopping only to pick up the blade. It was a silver blade. A completely normal, silver blade.

Pathetic.

There were some silver blades that could hurt me but this wasn't one of them. Those were made through a special ritual. These kids really were clueless.

"I would advise you to change your ways 'lest you meet someone crueller and less tolerant than me." I said without looking back. I placed by bag into the car and stared to get into the car. I stopped halfway.

"Understand this," I said.

I stared back at the group.

"If you hurt anyone I _will_ find you."

The group flinched and kept looking at the ground, avoiding my eyes.

I got in the car and took one last look at the now bickering group. I rolled my eyes and let out an annoyed sigh.

_Kids._

* * *

"Good to see you're still a people person," Sen-Yu said to me five minutes later.

I frowned at him and he gave a bright simile back.

"Children must love you," he said holding back laughter.

"Yeah. Everyday they line up to be my kid. Frozen yogurt and bright smiles. It breaks my heart to turn them down. Now, a little quiet please, I got work to do." I replied with a smile on my face. I started taking out the hair I had gotten from Khalid's brush. I held it in my gloved hand, closed my eyes and began to create a connection.

All things are one. Even when separated there is a connection. What was separated desires to return to completion. I reached deep down in my reserves and separated it from myself. I began to mold the energy to connect it with the flow of the universe. Usually I had equipment that helped with this but I figured that I was close enough to not need them.

"In the Name of Mighty Oshtur… By the Power of the Deathless Vishanti… I Call upon the Hosts of Hoggoth! Lead me to the source of this lost one! Heed the Words of thy mortal servant!"

As I said each word I felt power enter me. Clear crystalized power that emptied my mind and sang in my soul. Power that grew larger and larger until it felt like it was going to suffocate me and then I let it out. The power flared and the hair burned. In a couple of minutes the hair would burn completely. But for now the spell was still working. There was that smoke drifted upwards with a faint trace of energy in it. Energy that popped against my etheric field and tickled my nose.

I sat back and focused on the point at the crown of my head. I blocked out everything that was around. The smell of burning hair. The chattering crowds outside the car. The engine of the car. My body. I could feel my body dissolve away from my thoughts. Everything slipped away. There was once a time when I would have needed props and incense to do this. It would have taken me hours.

I had improved since then.

I released my astral form. A translucent ghost-like image of my physical self. I freed myself from my body. I felt good all over. I felt no ache or pain. I could feel vibrations all across my body. A steady hum coming from all around me. I felt right. It was satisfying. Like drinking cool water after thirsting for so long. There was no gravity. No limits. I was completely free. Something without beginning or end. I _loved_ my astral form.

I stared at my immobile and deathly still body and then I got to work. I willed myself upwards free from the oppressive confines of gravity. I flew upwards out the car and over the crowds. One of the downsides of astral projection was that I left physical tools behind with my body. Which was one of the reasons I don't carry many mystical tools and why I carried the Eye of Agamotto. The Eye had a physical form and an astral form. It made for a very potent weapon.

I activated the Eye. A blinding white light poured out the Eye sweeping away the scenery and revealed a silver cord that came up from the car and ran through the city. I followed it to the eastern side of a hotel. I stopped and, through the Eye, I saw no traps or spells. I peered through the wall and saw that…

…There was no one there. Correction, there was only one person there. Khalid Shah, the missing person. He was sleeping. I felt a twinge of annoyance. I checked my senses again. I checked my Eye again.

Nothing.

No magic. No hidden people. No bombs. No monsters.

Nothing but a sleeping teen.

This. Was. A. _Complete_. Waste. Of. Time.

I hadn't sensed any deception or malice from Dr. Shah. So in all probability the kid had just run away from home. He probably had nightmares because his dreams touched Nightmare World. He eventually had problems with his parents as teenagers are prone to have. Shah had been serious about meeting some supernatural creature however. I recognize the look that someone get when they face the impossibility of the supernatural. Some evil beast had found out Khalid ran away from home and pretended to have kidnapped him.

I let out a sigh. I would get the kid to go home, go back to America and defeat whatever evil was behind this. It would be simple.

_It is always enlightening when looking back and realizing one never stops learning._

* * *

I psychically sent Sen-Yu a message where I was and I waited for the car to arrive at the hotel. I wanted to keep track of the boy if I was wrong about him being kidnapped. I wasn't wrong. He thought that he was alone. Just trust me on this. He _definitely_ thought he was alone. While he was distracted I had managed to psychically move his key card half way under the door. The car stopped in front of the hotel some time later. I rejoined my body and flashed Sen-Yu a quick smile. He left to find a place to park the car and I walked into the hotel.

I missed it while I was in my astral form but it looked like an expensive place to stay. The floor and the wall looked like it was made of clean and spotless glass. A soft blue light glowed from it surfaces. The walls flashed advertisements for this some type of drink or for McDonald. There were steel bands that ran across the walls going upwards. There were cute smiling women dressed like a cross between those uniforms from Star Trek and a stewardess. (Or is the proper term flight attendant, now?) There were bag carriers that dressed in blue and silver versions of their stereotypical uniforms. There was a crowd of what looked like tourists in the center of the room looking down at the floor while one of the women was talking to them. I was able to peer over the shoulder of one of the tourists and saw a giant black fish (more like a small whale, really) circling and that shone a pale blue light this place seemed to love. It must be some new type of species. Probably something leftover from some mad scientist's experiment. They weren't allowed to live in the wild to ensure the protection of genetic diversity or something like that.

This would probably impressed a lot of people other than me but I had seen better. Instead I looked around and frowned. I remembered this place before all of this. There were little houses and a field. Kids played and skinned their knees here. When I was still an apprentice I got into an argument with an insufferable woman here. The first time I banished a spirit without my master now had a kiosk selling electronics.

This place had changed. Just like everything else.

"Sir? Can I help you?"

I turned to face an attendant standing behind me. She had a bubbly smile that was just infectious. I had to fight to prevent myself from smiling on pure instinct. A sorcerer commands his body, not the other way around. So when I smiled back it was by choice not because she was.

"Yes. I was looking to check in." I replied.

"Okay, I'll be happy to help," She walked over to a computer and started to punch something in. "Under what name?"

"Doctor Stephen Strange."

"Oh. You're a doctor? That's good. You help people. I can't think of anything better." She gave me a beaming smile and handed me a key card.

I took it and said, "Neither can I."

I took an elevator ride to the eighth floor and walked to the room I came to earlier. I wasn't planning to stay long. I would probably give the key to Sen-Yu. He would enjoy a vacation. I knocked. I heard some rustling and the sound of someone hitting the floor.

"Erm… Who is it?"

"Someone to bring you home. Open up."

Why lie? He deserved to know the truth. Besides I was going in no matter what he did. I bent down and grabbed the key card I had slid there earlier. I popped the key card into the slot and opened the door to a quickly redressing Khalid. He looked at me with shock and looked like he was about to scream when I raised a hand and said, "Stop."

And he did. I didn't need any magic. At all.

In the midst of congratulating myself over my mastery of the teenage species, I felt …something. Something mind-blasting horrible. Something that reeled against my senses. A feeling of nihilistic despair. Of screaming, unbearable torment. Of suffocating hate. I was already preparing a defense on instinct when I saw a mystic bolt was streaking towards me right from the building across the street.

On my right, Khalid was rushing at me.

Hmm.

This _was_ a trap.


	2. Chapter 2: Foolish Moves

**Better believe it. I'm back. I would like to say thanks for the review. My life is in order and to say I'm sorry for the wait, here is a slighty longer chapter.**

**Foolish Moves**

I made a novice mistake.

I had blindly walked into a trap. The boy I came to rescue was rushing to attack me and a mystical attack was flying at me from the building across the street. This was too well-timed. Someone had set me up.

But I was going to have to worry about that later. First, I needed to survive the attack and prevent my charge from being killed.

I turned to face Khalid and with one arm I caught his hand and with the other I pushed at his shoulder. I used his own momentum, spun him and tossed him down to the floor with a thud. I spun on my heel towards the glass door, raised my flatten my hand in front of me and brought up a shield. The bolt shattered the door, showering glass at the shield, and splattered against the shield into some type of liquid flame.

I returned fire with a mystic bolt of my own. It left my hand, blew the remaining glass out the door and streaked out at my assailant. Seconds after it left my hand, I was running across the shattered glass, through the shattered door and over the railing.

My cape carried me through the air and the moment I hit the roof, I dropped into a roll, barely avoiding the swing of a sword. I came up from the roll on a knee, turning and gathering energy as I did, and threw a small blue flame at the creature. Two diminutive hands lurched free from it waist and released Hellfire that swallowed my flame completely and hurtled towards me. I formed a shield around the palm of my hand and deflected the flame at an angle, so it fell to the right of my foot.

"Mayhaps, you stay down there. It would expedite the situation, enormously," The demon said in a dreamy, distant voice.

The demon stood as tall as the Hulk, reeked of sulfur and emitted blood lust. The two arms on its side was lined with razor like bone. It stood on four horse legs and the creature's skin was of pitch black leather. Where humans would have had an abdomen it instead had six sets of cadaverous, veiny arms, each holding a dagger. In between it pectoral muscle and it thin arms, a human head jutted out. The face had long black hair framing it side and looked like it was at complete peace and calm. The topmost head was horse-like and lacking any eyes, ears, nose and anything else.

"Devourer of souls, wolf to men, I give you one warning. Leave this world," I growled as I rose to my feet.

The creature tapped its chin (the demon one) as if deep in thought, a strange humming sound coming from its stomach face. "Hm. Mayhap a deal can be made. Give me your life and my quarry will be complete."

I stood there staring the creature down when I realized that it wasn't mocking me. It honestly thought that was a fair trade. I grinned and I pushed the hair out my face. "You don't seem to understand humans because that not so much a deal as it is _me_ giving _you_ what _you_ want. I'm not really getting anything in return."

I'm not sure whether it saw the grin on my face or if understood humans better than I thought because it growled at me, evidently angered by me.

_Sucker._

"I will kill you," It said, "I will kill you and mock your body. I will kill you and drag your body back to my queen as proof that she should not mock my abilities."

"Ah, now that's interesting. Who is this queen?" I asked.

The demon froze completely still, realizing it had said too much. That's a problem with the magical community. We either talk too much or too little. The demon's entire body tensed and in the blink of an eye it struck at me with all the speed and power of a snake.

I brought up a shield when the demon flicked one of its knives at me. I expected for my shield to stop it but instead the blade was only slowed and had I been a moment slower it would have taken my left eye. Instead it drew blood right above my eye and went soaring further into the air. I lost my footing for a second and the demon took advantage of it by throwing two more Hellfire bolts. One at my left leg and the other at my head. And for good measure it threw another blade at my chest.

Clever plan. Unbalancing me and then using it superior speed to put me down before I could come up with a defense. My cape responded to my thoughts and spun me like some dancer; pulling me clear of the attacks with the hellfire near my leg missing by centimeters. I came out the spin and pulled my cape and amulet from around my neck and threw it at the demon. The cape obscured the demon's vision for a second before it swept the cape aside. That second was all I needed and I released a beam of mystic force as wide as my arm at the human face on its chest. My attacked struck it and while the face began to crack like porcelain, the rest of the demon wasn't affected and rush forward just as fast as before.

I began hopping backwards as it charged, putting three micro-shields before me to slow and stop it blades. I threw up shields to stop Hellfire and micro-shields to stop the knives again and again; that I thought that was the limit of the demon's abilities. Instead the demon dug it hands into the roof and threw a chunk of it at me. When I ducked and spun backwards to avoid it, the demon tossed more flames that bit into my right leg and my world went white with pain.

The attack tore at my mind and monstrous thoughts entered my head. My entire body felt consumed. My stomach lurched, my blood went still, my arms began to go numb and my head felt clogged. Then I felt something like a hand touch my forehead and everything disappeared at once. I rolled up to my feet and dodged another Hellfire bolt. My leg ached and strained supporting my weight but I have since learned how to ignore pain.

My foot brushed against the edge of the roof and I came to a stop. I moved my left leg forward and my right leg back. I then moved my left arm forward and up and my right arm down and back. I called up my inner Power and infused it with my voice to reach the ears of another world. My voice echoed through the world to another. Praying for an entity to add its strength to my own.

"_**Boreas King, hear my plea!**_

_**Bring forth your cold chills!**_

_**Bring me many icy spears!**__"_

The words gathered the energy I sent out and returned it with the energy of the environment. Again and again. Each time the energy increased and coalesced together in the center of my body. Until finally every chakra pathway was opened and a gateway to Ikthalon's world was established.

Entreating an entity is the last and most difficult discipline a sorcerer could learn. This path teaches a sorcerer how to ask for strength or knowledge from another being. The closer the being's home to Earth or the stronger the being the easier it was. The entity could demand anything from chants and gestures to other… more unsavory things. These actions showed the sorcerer's dedication and submission to the being's will and is meant to vibrate the energy used manifest the gate to same frequency as the being's resided on.

For a novice it could take days or years to gain an entity's attention.

I am _not_ a novice.

Ikthalon's power rushed through the gate and up my spine causing my blood to run cold and my body to grow numb. My body wanted to shake but instead I held rigid. A rush of cold energy flowed around my body and I guided the flow of energy with my own and ice stakes rose from the floor of the roof and slid towards the creature. And as it slid across the floor it left a generous coating of jagged ice behind.

"Won't work!" The demon shouted and sure enough it avoided my attack. It slide and rushed at me like a train.

It had me trapped at the edge of the roof and it grinned wickedly at what it thought was helpless prey.

I had it lined up with the ice coating the roof. I grinned at my ingenuity.

I called out in my thoughts, 'To me, my Cloak!'

My cloak shot past the creature and attached itself around my neck. The Eye opened up and bathed the creature in blinding light. It might as well been fire to the creature. It hissed and spat, twisting it head and body, futility trying to avoid the light and threw another one of its blades at me.

I bobbed out the way of the blade and jabbed my right hand forward, converting the kinetic energy of that movement and the energy stored in my body into a mystic bolt. The bolt swept underneath it body and knocked the demon's leg from underneath it and the demon fell, neighing in shock. I released another attack and spun to it side and away from me. I put everything into the next bolt and forced it back towards the ice.

The jagged ice ripped and tore open the creature's side, as it tumbled across the roof, leaving a trail of white ectoplasm behind as it did. It arms and legs scrambled across the floor trying to stop itself, screaming another horse's neigh as it flipped over the edge. As I sprinted after the creature, avoiding the now gaseous ectoplasm and ice, the demon rose into the air.

It body was more streamlined now and resembled some typed of winged serpent. It horse-like legs and arms now laid flat against his side and giant black bat wings jutted out it back. It demonic head had a hollowed mouth and eyes that glowed burning white Hellfire. Bright orange Hellfire encircled it body and as it flew overhead firing more napalm-like Hellfire after emitting a hair-raising screech.

Bad move on its part. It had left the safety of buildings and people and gave me a clear line of fire. I raised my hand, opened the Gate, and called, "_**Flames of the Faltine!**_" Blinding red fire, as thick as my waist, literally roared out my hand. As the fire left my hand, it mutated; faces appeared in the fire, each one falling and climbing on top on the other trying to get in the front, all screaming a deep bellowing sound that echoed too deeply through my body. The flame bit and chewed into the demon's wounds, ripping them open faster than it could heal.

It convulsed in agony for a minute when suddenly the air around it, rippled and warped. A second later, thick black smoke poured out its body and the demon vanished from sight, leaving only a string of curses behind.

I supposed the meaning of killing and mocking a body must be different for demons than it is for humans.

I flew back to Khalid's room and found it empty. The kid had, unsurprisingly, run off during the conflict. Alarms were blaring, people were pouring out the hotel in a panic, half dressed and half-asleep. While they did that I opened the Eye again and Agamotto's light revealed foot prints leading out the hotel, down through the kitchen and out that the door to tire marks.

I was about to give chase when I looked around. Police were arriving on scene and I bet they were going to check what had happened. I let out an _extremely_ ungentlemanly groan. The police was going to have a problem with my disappearance.

Find the boy. Secure the boy. Question the boy. Solve the problem. Worry about the police later.

* * *

Bidding Sen-Yu goodbye, I took to the sky, following the car trail up to some mountainous terrain. I summoned an illusion to try to blend in. I called together a blue suit, brown tie and a fedora as my disguise.

I find that's it the fedora that pulls everything together.

Groups of people stood around chatting and others formed a line down leading to tunnel. The wind rose and died down at intervals. Cold nipped at my nose and my ears. But it still wasn't as bad as Jotunheimen. I caught some of the conversations over the wind.

"…craziness happening everywhere."

"…wanted to be greater, ya know?"

"…war caused by some dumbasses fighting over a crown," said an oddly familiar voice as the wind died down.

I recognized the voice just as it responded "Yo, Steve!" I cringed. Only one person calls me Steve.

Daimon Hellstorm looked like he belongs to one of those heavy metal bands. You know, the bands that would be accused of being Satanists and inspire moral outrage. They would be right about this one.

Standing around six-foot, Hellstorm dressed like he had to mow down a farm of cows to get all the necessary leather for his boots, jacket and pants. Dressed entirely in black except for a red jacket, Daiman Hellstorm, wore a smug grin and walked with a swagger that demands attention. Numerous studs pierced his ear and a chain of ankhs hung from his wrist. Wild, flaming red hair came down to touch his shoulders and despite the temperature he wore no shirt. He usually doesn't. Probably to show off the abs he didn't have to work for. Or perhaps because he likes to spit on society's rules. Or most likely, he wore no shirt to show off the inverted pentagram on his chest.

That pentagram was the physical manifestation of his Darksoul. Proof that he was a cambion. Better known as a half demon. Shocking I know. With a name like that who would have guess. Despite the name, his true nature always took people by surprise. They just thought he was, and pardon the oddness of me saying this, a "bad boy".

But Daimon was so much more. He was pawn that overthrew a king. After failing at denying his heritage, Daimon used it to kill his father and took his throne. Daimon Hellstorm is the only man ever recorded to have gone from being a cambion to a Hell Lord. In my circle this made him dangerous.

I bowed and asked, "Hellstorm, what brings you here?"

Hellstorm finished his strut, looked at me up and down and gave a sly smile. "Why so formal, Steve? Perhaps I just wanted to talk to an old friend," he said without the slightest hint of sincerity in his voice.

I gritted my teeth and said, "If I recall properly you were the one who said we weren't friends."

Hellstorm frowned at the coldness of the statement. But it was true. I would always be there to help him if needed but we were not friends. His behavior made that impossible. I had seen firsthand how Hellstorm treats his love ones.

"Yeah, I suppose I did say that," He started. "Look, Stephen, I need help with something."

"I don't get involved with Hell Lords, Hellstorm."

Hellstorm turned and blocked my path. A frown and look of annoyance on his face. Arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Well, I'm already seeing someone, Stephen. So I don't want to get _involved_ with you. I want your _damn_ help. There's demon trouble."

I stepped past him and said, "There's always demon trouble, Hellstorm. That's why they're demons."

I was going to continue and leave him behind when my conscience (my inner Ancient One) began to bother me. I wanted to continue walking but it felt like my legs were weighed down by blood. I sighed and when I turned around Hellstrom had standing arm crossed and smiling.

"Look, Hellstorm. Meet me in New York. I have something here to finish first."

He frowned and said seriously, "I would be careful down there, Stephen. There's a cult hanging down in those tunnels."

I waved an affirmative at him and turned away. While I had my difficulty with Hellstorm in the past but I could trust his warning. What I couldn't trust were his motives.

Why was he hanging around here of all places? How did he know I was going to be here before I did? Did the Hellstorm know about that demon who tried to kill me? Did he have a part in all of this?

I couldn't form any hypothesis yet but Hellstorm was officially on my radar.

* * *

About five minutes later, I wished, despite the potential threat, I was still with Hellstorm. Instead I was being jostled from being as I tried to squeeze my way down a tunnel. The tunnels had been dug out by a faction of Deviants during the Great War a few years back. The military had a hell of a time fighting down through the tunnels and clearing it out from their hordes. The actual entrance was further south from here but there were small openings that led down to the tunnels that crisscrossed the entire mountain. The people here were squatters and party going teens that like to hang around; living free from the rules of the surface world. Every so often the police and military would do a sweep and arrest anyone found living here.

As I moved down the tunnels I could see why. The tunnels were death traps. If an emergency occurred these people would trample each other. That and judging by the fat rats that ran across my feet it might be less than sanitary. It got colder as I went further down and the air felt thinner. Sound echoed through the tunnels. Generators hummed and people laughed and chatted. Pink Floyd was mixed with some local music and played over some speakers.

I saved one of their members once. I can't recall the name however but I did.

I finally made through the dark tunnel and was greeted with an unpleasant sight. On the walls hung three tattered banners with key-like wand on each one. The one in the center had electricity framing the borders and the outmost banners had flames framing the borders. I recognized that symbol. Daimon was right.

Khalid had fled to a cult of Tiboro. Tiboro, who wanted me out the way. Tiboro, Tyrant of the Sixth Dimension, Spirit of Decay, Lord of the Seething Volcano, Ruler of a Long Gone World.

Tiboro grew in strength as the decay and corruption of society increased and grew. And now it seems after the last Great War Tiboro's sphere of influence was growing. His cult was usually confined to the Americas. This was the furthest it has ever spread.

I wondered how many people was actually part of the cult and how many were simply party-goers. That's how some cults liked to operate. Pick off some of the more vulnerable party goers and then train them to recruit more. But I decided to put that on the back burner as I saw Khalid sneak into a backroom. I slinked through the party goers trying to avoid looking suspicious. I ducked through the cave corridor that Khalid sunk through and into a mixture of a 'Love Café' and sale center. The place was filled with collapse tables and chairs filled with couples chatting and recruiters recruiting. A breeze came down from the roof making the couples lean close together and others to grip their jackets. Khalid sat somewhat left of the center his back facing the door. As result he didn't see me approaching.

"It has been quite a night, Mr. Shah," I whispered into his ear. Khalid went still like animal suspecting there might be a predator around. I walked around to the other side of the table staring at him as I did.

I sat down across from him and dropped my face back to my natural look, which I've been told is cold and frightening, perching my fingers in a steeple under my chin.

"Tiboro?" I gestured to the surroundings and continued, "I will admit. I am surprise."

"I wonder how many are actually part of the cult and how many are just here for the party? Any idea, Khalid?"

Khalid sat there, avoiding my eyes and shaking a little. I couldn't see it very clearly but he was mouthing something and breathing slower. I pulled my senses and sensed that he wasn't gathering magic but something dark was increasing around the place. I needed to get the information and watch out because it felt that the cult was up to something. I needed eye contact.

"Silence won't help you. I already met your_ demon friend!_" I snarled and slammed my hand onto the table and Khalid jumped and stared at me with fright. We made eye contact and I projected my will into his mind.

To someone on the outside it look like we were just having a staring contest but for us on the inside I couldn't see anything but the black of his eyes. I could feel his thoughts try to repel me. Feel his spirit to try to reject the foreign intruder trying to invade his mind. And I could feel his will falter and fail. His body went still and rigid; his eyes vacant. My will push into his mind and I infused my voice with my will.

"_**You must speak only the truth**_."

Khalid sat still but I could feel my command seep in and take whole. I allowed myself to relax a little. Rather than probe his mind and lose focus of my surroundings, I could question him and keep my eyes free to watch for any threats for the cultists.

"Who are you working for?" I asked.

"A Queen of the Bountiful."

"How about a name?"

"I don't know her name."

Somewhat odd. As stated earlier supernatural types love to boast and scream to the heavens their names and titles.

"What does she want?"

"Absolute freedom. Freedom for us all."

Typical cult justification.

"Why does she want me dead?"

"I don't know."

This was getting nowhere fast. This Queen had given him almost no information.

"What did she look like, Mr. Shah?"

Khalid said nothing. He sat there as stiff as stone and staring at me.

"What did she look like, Mr. Shah?"

And again. Nothing.

"What did she look like, Mr. Shah?"

And once again. Nothing.

"Why are you not answering me?"

"My last name is not Shah. It is Kesey."

"_What!?"_

"My last name is not Shah. It is Kesey."

Something was amiss. Somehow Shah had managed to lie to my face in my home. He also had some of Khalid's hair on hand to give to me. Even his house had been set up with pictures of the boy as he grew. He had gone through a lot of trouble to fool me. Khalid, Mr. Shah, Tiboro, and some Queen had thrown in together for some reason. Most likely reason? To kill me and take over the Earth.

But I couldn't rule out the second most likely reason. They could be aiming to kill me over some petty slight. Like not letting them kill me the first time they tried to take over the Earth.

As I pondered the company I kept, something drop down from the ceiling with the force of anvil, breaking the table and with the speed of a jaguar it spun, gripped Khalid's throat with it talons and, with a stomach sickening snap, broke his neck. Then without ever stopping or slowing down, turned at me and threw Khalid's body at me.

I caught the body and felt the weight of the table and creature on my leg, preventing me from moving. Every light in the room began to falter and fail, plunging everyone into darkness. People screamed and panicked and I… just sat there holding the broken body of Khalid Kesey and staring into the red eyes of his killer.

He may have plotted my death. He may have been in league with a demon. He may have been a lowlife but that didn't change the fact that he was denizen of Earth. He was my charge. He was supposed to be under my protection and some evil, supernatural filth had killed him right in front of me. I had failed him. They took a life. They make my Earth a place a little less safe every time they killed.

I should have been mad. I should have been angry. But I wasn't. I was in business mode. All I thought was that it seems that I needed to make an example. I opened the Eye of Agamotto, shining it blazing bright light at my assailant. The creature hissed and cringed away from the light. It was a bony and covered in brown and red scab-like skin. It crouched like a tiger on four legs. A ridge of spikes ran down its back and tail. A large bug like head that rotated and twitched 90 degrees horizontally ended with two bony protrusions. A forked tongue too thin for such a large head flickered in and out of its mouth every few seconds.

A N'Garai. The N'Garai are a race of demons that walked the Earth in the early days of the world. Created by something… an Other, to be a slave race. On the whole they were violent, chaotic, intelligent and inherently sadistic. In the early days of the Earth they had a foothold on the Earth but their empire was cast down and they were banished from this world. Something must have summoned this one here. I'll deal with them after I deal with this.

I took a deep breath, drew in Power, aimed and shouted "_**Bolt of Bedevilment!" **_The force of the attack struck the N'Garai and table and sent both flying overhead into the wall above the entrance. I stood and watched N'Garai came down and fell among the shattered remains of the table. The attack had created a momentary flash of light that allowed for the people to see N'Garai. That was when the people in the room began panicking and whimpering. I set Khalid aside, stood and I began to let my Power interact with the air around me, creating a blue light that radiate off me and lit the room. In that instant I saw the tail of another N'Garai circle behind me. I turned in time to see the creature leapt at me. Using the momentum of the turn I placed my hands underneath the joints of his arms and threw it at the other N'Garai. It tumbled back towards the entrance when the N'Garai stopped the slide.

I stepped forward towards the center of the room and shouted, "Everyone! Group together and get behind me! Drag anyone who unwillingly to move and… _Get. Behind. Me._ _Now!_"

People began moving to comply with the orders. Pulling the people who were too frightened to move themselves. Another N'Garai dropped from the ceiling and stood with the N'Garai and started screaming at us in their foul language. The N'Garai was regrouping and I could see that they were planning another attack.

"Don't stop! Keep moving!" I shouted.

Everyone had or was grouping behind me and I was planning my next move when the entrance exploded in bright orange flash that smelled of sulfur and a mixture of human and inhuman wails. The N'Garai reeled back in shock, my charges screamed and huddled closer and I blinked.

Damion Hellstorm strutted through the debris, completely spotless and a smug smile, like all eyes were supposed to be on him. They all were but it was still arrogant of him to assume that. He walked over the downed N'Garai, smiled at the others and slammed his trident through it head. The upper part of the N'Garai's body flailed horribly and exploded into gore, the other N'Garai took a step back and nearly everyone averted their eyes. Hellstorm then bent down to brush the blood off his boots, all while still grinning.

"Problem, Stephen?"

The N'Garai backpedaled away from Hellstorm and left their backs open to me. N'Garai aren't considered honorable combatants in the supernatural world, so I feel no shame to say that I took advantage of the opening. I shoved my hand forward and shouted, "_**Bolts of Balthakk!" **_The energy given by Balthakk condensed around my hand as a black ball of energy that crackled with electricity and left as three separate smaller balls that struck a N'Garai in the nape of the neck one after another, burning a hole through. It screamed and held the wound when the other turned to face me and Hellstorm swung his trident like a blade and tore open the N'Garai's stomach. The two of them shook and fell next to each other. It took a few seconds for the life to leave them but when it did I looked up at Hellstorm. He had a hand resting on the side of his face and looked bored. "You know, I ran into several of these of the way down here. We exchange some harsh words and I showed them my art." He waved his trident in front of him at the last word.

"Hellstorm!" I shouted. "I need your help saving these people."

"These people?" Hellstorm gestured to the flinching people behind me and continued, "Those people are cultists! Screw them! It's their own damn fault. Let them reap what they sow."

I didn't have time for this. I had people to save.

"Hellstorm, either help or leave!"

Hellstorm's eyes flashed golden orange, and he cursed, before slamming his trident into the ground; emitting a clear note that vibrated off the bones and cracked the ground with Hellfire.

"Bailiff! Bailiff! Bailiff! Your Master calls!"

At each shout liquid Hellfire leapt up and began to take shape onto empty air. The left side of a body appeared first. Then came the right side. And finally a hat and cane appeared. Hellstorm's bailiff dressed entirely in white and like an eighteenth century gentleman. He didn't appear to have a head. Instead there was a ball of webs that crisscrossed all around. Pale lips with needle thin teeth dotted across the web. Large white spiders crawled from underneath the webs and traversed it surface. Every time a spider got too close to a lip, a tongue would leap out and grabbed the spider and consume with a sad whimper from the spider. The Bailiff turned towards Hellstorm said in a deep voice, "At your call, sir."

"Ensure no harm come to these dumb-"

Er…let's say he cursed and leave at that.

The Baliff tapped it cane on the ground, bowed and with a voice full of glee said, "At once, my Lord of Lies."

"Alright, Stephen," Hellstorm brought the trident close to his face and called up Hellfire that lit his face with an orange glow, a sadistic smirk on his face and said, "Ready when you are."

* * *

The first sight I saw as we left the Love Café was the destroyed bodies of N'Garai littering the room. Apparently Hellstorm hated them as much as they hated him. The next thing I notice was the bloody victims of the N'Garai. Ten people were cut down and left to die in horror. The last thing I notice was my senses warning me of something attacking from above.

"_**Shield of the Seraphim!**_"

A translucent shield with the etched images of stoic, statue like guardians popped up around me and Daimon. The N'Garai dropped from the ceiling, bounced off and tumbled to the floor and before they could get to their feet, Daimon unleashed a volley of flames that tore their faces and front leg from their body. From the tunnel on the right three N'Garai came running at full speed. One of the N'Garai screamed something at us in a language that sounded and (judging by the N'Garai's reaction) looked painful to speak. Hellstorm shouted something else back in the same language without the slightest indication that it bothered him. Hellstrom then fired a barrage of fireballs down the tunnel. Two of the N'Garai leapt onto the walls to avoid it and the last one stopped and ducked. I fired a bolt of bedevilment at the N'Garai on the left wall. It pushed off the wall and jumped to avoid it but without the ability to maneuver in midair it got caught in a follow-up attack released by Hellstorm. The other N'Garai screamed and maneuvered to the floor to avoid a similar fate. I ran at it, gathering my Power as I did and Hellstorm followed behind me. I released the light from my amulet and the creature came to a stop; blinded. I went right and Hellstorm went left and when we both released our attacks, we bisected the creature.

Upon seeing its partner burn, the last of the N'Garai, screamed and leapt towards a crack in the wall, clawing, scratching and trying to escape. I would have happily to let it escape with its life to spread horror of my abilities but evidently Hellstorm disagreed. He grabbed the creature by its tail pulled the beast onto the floor and unleashed a stream of Hellfire that engulfed and melted it skin down to bone.

While Hellstorm reveled in the madness I put together a plan. I needed to identify how infested the caverns were and how many people needed to be saved. I opened the Eye and the light that poured out peered through the walls showing me the people being preyed on by the N'Garai. I checked a complete circle around me, observing and taking note of the tunnels.

"Hellstorm," I said, "watch my back. I need a few seconds."

Hellstorm nodded and moved closer, looking ready to strike down anything that came from the dark. The spell I planning wasn't meant for quick and fierce battles. It wasn't meant for battles where I operated alone. But it was made for situations like this. For clearing out rooms with a minimum amount of collateral damage. I gathered power into three separate gates and called out,

"_**By the Winds of Watoomb,**_

_**By Faltine's Famished Flames,**_

_**With Vapors from behind Valtorr's Veils,**_

_**Bring forth a storm under my command,**_

_**Follow the spell's at my command,**_

_**Bring forth terror at my command!**_"

Wind leapt up around me, spinning faster and faster; flames danced across the winds as the sparks grew larger in size feeding off the vapors. It grew until it obscured my vision and grew greater still. The air was suffocating. The space between me and the flames grew smaller and smaller. It was when the sound was drained out the room that I knew the spell was complete. I let loose an arm sized portion of the spell and guided it around Hellstorm, down a tunnel and cleanse the tunnel of any N'Garai I could find. One of them was tearing into the flesh of a downed victim and so it didn't see the spell coming. The spell cooked it alive. It screams alerted two more N'Garai, that saw their companion burn and didn't act fast enough to avoid the second bigger burst that consumed them.

Everything the spell touched was left scoured. One N'Garai tried to leap over it but I pulled the flame up and swallowed it's head whole. Another was about to leap upon a fallen person while two others watched when my spell washed over them like a wave leaving the would-be victim safe in the middle. Again and again I brought the spell around killing any N'Garai that didn't flee. Any N'Garai stupid enough to try to prey on anybody suffered. Bones cracked, skin split opened and monsters screamed. After what seemed like an eternity, the screaming stopped, leaving only crying.

Not the biggest spell I ever cast but still exhausting. I checked the rooms with the Eye again and smiled. The N'Garai were left broken and melting across the caverns. And no civilian causalities resulted from the spell. I closed the Eye and could feel its gratitude at being allowed to rest.

"Everything's good, Strange?"

"No more N'Garai but we need to check on the victims, Hellstorm."

I made a move towards the tunnels when Hellstorm stopped me and shook his head. He pointed at the hellfire wound on my leg. I not sure how he knew it was there but he did. The wound wasn't bothering me but it was irritating.

"You need to get that treated sooner rather than later. It is going to get worse. Leave this," He said." Go back to New York. There bigger troubles brewing. I'll use my contacts to clear everything up here."

I didn't say or do anything but stare at him. I did not want to do that. I shook my head and was moving towards a tunnel. Hellstorm caught up and moved in front of me with a disapproving look.

I frowned and said, "Can't. I have police trouble I need to clear up."

Hellstorm moved closer and said "I'll take care of it. Trust me, Strange. _Please_."

There was an awkward pause. Hellstorm was actually begging to be trusted. The smile that so usually characterized his face was replaced with sorrow. This only made things even more awkward. Hellstorm cleared his throat and ran his hair through his hair. A smile returning to his face as he did.

"Or don't. It's up to you."

I continued to stare at him. Uncertain whether to accept his help. My senses screamed 'He's a cambion! Don't trust him.' My brain screamed 'Don't! He hurts anyone close to him. Solve the problem yourself. You don't need help."

To be honest, I suspect that last part was my pride talking.

My heart on the other hand… My heart broke. He was desperately reaching out to me. Even I could see that.

I'm not the person who should decide that someone was irredeemable scum.

I'm not.

"You swear to see to these people safety?"

"Yes, Stephen. I swear."

"Nothing I would disprove of?"

"Yes. I swear."

There was slight paused as I gathered my courage and said, "Alright, Damon. I will do you a favor and allow you to help me."

He rolled his eyes but smiled and offered me his hand.

I took it.


End file.
